Voters in Colorado Springs approved a measure to legalize recreational marijuana sales and rejected a competing measure that would have permanently banned them, according to final unofficial results from the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office.
Why it matters: The conservative-leaning city — Colorado’s second-largest — has stood firm against recreational cannabis sales for a decade, even as the rest of the state embraced legalization.
The vote is the latest sign the city is evolving from a reserved military town anchored by megachurches to a more moderate community shaped by its growing and diversifying population.
The big picture: Colorado’s cannabis industry is in a precarious place, with sales down and dispensaries closing or changing hands due to declining demand and economic struggles.
By the numbers: Ballot Question 300, allowing retail cannabis sales, passed 54.7% to 45.3% — a dramatic difference from two years ago, when 54% of voters rejected a similar proposal.
Question 2D, which would have banned sales for good, narrowly failed 50.6% to 49.4%, despite support from Mayor Yemi Mobolade.
How it works: The new law allows the city’s roughly 90 existing medical marijuana dispensaries to begin selling cannabis for recreational use.
Retail shops must maintain a 1,000-foot buffer from schools and similar facilities — a local requirement already in place for medical dispensaries.
Yes, but: Legal questions remain.
Ahead of the election, the city council passed a zoning ordinance that severely limits where recreational marijuana dispensaries can operate, banning sales within 1 mile of schools, day care facilities, and drug and alcohol treatment centers.
City officials haven’t clarified whether the new voter-approved law supersedes the council’s restrictions.
What they’re saying: “Colorado Springs voters decisively authorized adult-use cannabis sales, and city leaders should respect their decision,” Mason Tvert at Denver-based cannabis policy firm VS Strategies told Axios Denver.
“Expanding existing cannabis businesses to allow adult sales will create … positive economic activity for the community. They also meet the demand for cannabis that is currently being met by stores in other communities or the illicit market,” Tvert added.
City of Colorado Springs spokesperson Max D’Onofrio did not immediately respond to Axios Denver’s request for comment.
What’s next: Election results remain unofficial until certification the week of Thanksgiving.
Backers of Question 2D said they will not request a recount, per the Gazette.
What we’re watching: Proponents say opening the door to recreational pot could provide a lifeline to the struggling cannabis industry and generate significant tax revenue for the community.
H/T: www.axios.com
You can view the whole article at this link Colorado Springs voters legalize recreational marijuana
